Peter Dinklage talks about why 'GOT' fans were 'angry' over show's ending

Dec 24, 2021

Washington [US], December 24 : Actor Peter Dinklage is aware that 'Game of Thrones' fans weren't too fond of how the series ended and has recently weighed in on the subject.
When the HBO hit wrapped in 2019, fans were quick to voice their dissatisfaction with the show's finale. Their disappointed reactions even led to the creation of a Change.org petition calling for a re-do, according to People magazine.
Dinklage addressed the 'GoT' finale in a recent interview with a news outlet. "They wanted the pretty white people to ride off into the sunset together. By the way, it's fiction. There's dragons in it. Move on," joked Dinklage, who is set to star as the romantic lead in the new movie musical 'Cyrano'.
"No, but the show subverts what you think, and that's what I love about it. Yeah, it was called Game of Thrones, but at the end, the whole dialogue when people would approach me on the street was, 'Who's going to be on the throne?' I don't know why that was their takeaway because the show really was more than that," the actor continued.
"One of my favourite moments was when the dragon burned the throne because it sort of just killed that whole conversation, which is really irreverent and kind of brilliant on behalf of the show's creators. They constantly did that, where you thought one thing and they delivered another. Everybody had their own stories going on while watching that show, but nobody's was as good as what the show delivered, I think," he shared.
As for why he believes fans disliked the ending so much? Dinklage said: "I think the reason there was some backlash about the ending is because they were angry at us for breaking up with them."
The star added, "We were going off the air and they didn't know what to do with their Sunday nights anymore. They wanted more, so they backlashed about that. We had to end when we did because what the show was really good at was breaking preconceived notions: Villains became heroes, and heroes became villains."
"If you know your history, when you track the progress of tyrants, they don't start off as tyrants. I'm talking about, spoiler alert, what happened at the end of Game of Thrones with that character change. It's gradual, and I loved how power corrupted these people. What happens to your moral compass when you get a taste of power? Human beings are complicated characters, you know?" he said.
'Game of Thrones' ran from 2011 to 2019 for eight seasons. Based on author George R.R. Martin's fantasy novels, the acclaimed series followed nine noble families as they battled to gain control over Westeros. For his role as Tyrion Lannister, Dinklage was awarded four Emmy Awards.
Given the amount of success the HBO hit had throughout its run, it's easy to understand why Martin wanted two more seasons of the show. But Dinklage believes it's best that the series concluded when it did.
He said, "It was the right time. No less, no more. You don't want to wear out your welcome, although I'm not sure that show could have."
Fans don't have to say goodbye to the Game of Thrones franchise just yet. A bevvy of spinoff shows are currently in development, including the upcoming 'House of the Dragon' series.
Matt Smith and Olivia Cooke star in the project, which is a prequel to the former HBO program. It follows the Targaryen civil war occurring roughly 300 years before what transpired in 'Game of Thrones'.